Meghan Markle's sister Samantha Grant has fired back at Prince Harry after he called the royals "the family she never had".

The newly engaged royal opened up about the couple's first Christmas together as he took over as guest editor of the Radio 4 Today programme.

Prince Harry, 33, told the audience of the flagship programme: "The family loved having her there. We had an amazing time staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running around with the kids."

He added of Meghan, who is the first fiancee to be invited to the traditional bash, adapting to family traditions: “She’s done an absolutely amazing job, she’s getting in there and it’s the family that I suppose she’s never had.”

"Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her," Samantha wrote on Twitter (Image: ITV)

The former Suits actress was the star attraction at the Christmas Day gathering with hundreds of fans giving her the royal seal of approval (Image: Getty)

But his comments upset Meghan's estranged sister Samantha, who said the former Suits actress actually grew up being surrounded by a huge family - and also accused her of being "too busy".

Samantha, who is Meghan's half-sister from her father Thomas Markle's first marriage, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday evening: "Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her.

"Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses."

The pair will marry in May (Image: Alexi Lubomirski/ Kensington Palace)

The royal made the comments on the Radio 4 Today programme (Image: PA)

The 52-year-old went on: "No one was estranged, she was just too busy. Read my book complete with facts and photos."

Meghan's parents Doria and Thomas divorced when she was six-years-old.

Samantha followed it up with another tweet saying her marriage to Harry will just be extending her family.

"It’s the family that I suppose she’s never had," Harry said (Image: REUTERS)

"She has a large family. She always did," Samantha went on (Image: Splash News)